Van type vehicles typically include sliding door assemblies with a bracket mounted on the door supporting a plurality of cylindrical rollers having axes of rotation disposed either parallel to one another and/or normal to one another to support the door in the vertical and horizontal directions. Typically, the sliding door is guided along a non-linear fixed path of travel between an open position and a closed position along an upper track, an intermediate track, and a lower track. The different relative positions of the track with respect to the door typically requires each track to have a unique cross sectional configuration, and requires a specific bracket and roller assembly for engagement with the particular track. Typically, a conventional bracket includes two rollers rotatably mounted about a vertical axis of rotation and a support roller mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation. These rollers engage a track disposed horizontally along the vehicle and allows the door to be moved between the open position and closed position.
The track is required to be curved inwardly toward the vehicle center along the terminus to allow the door to be closed as the rollers supported by the bracket follow the track to cause the trailing edge of the door to sealingly engage the corresponding periphery of the opening. Typically, the rollers are small in diameter to allow the rollers to negotiate the curve in the track. The current requirement of different cross sectional configurations for the upper, intermediate, and lower tracks, as well as the added requirement of different brackets and rollers for each track configuration, unnecessarily complicates the assembly requirements in the assembly plant. In addition, each part requires a significant amount of storage space in the assembly facility, as well as any repair facility for the vehicles.